Comet Comments

Don Machholz

A new comet, discovered from Australia, is fading in our evening sky. Meanwhile, Comet Lee is in our morning sky while a fainter Periodic Comet Tempel 2 is in our evening southern sky.

Comet Lynn (1999 N2): Daniel Lynn of Victoria Australia discovered this comet on July 13. He was using handheld 10x50 binoculars to find this seventh-magnitude object. The comet will continue moving north in the evening sky as it pulls away from both the earth and sun.

COMET HUNTING NOTES: Lynn's discovery is the fourth consecutive comet to be visually discovered from Australia, and all four have been found in the past 12 months. Of the last nine comets found visually, seven have been discovered by Australians.